End of an era as top Saints call it quits

Chloe Saltau

A DEEPLY unsatisfied St Kilda coach Ross Lyon last night declared the end of an era as four grand final players retired in the aftermath of the Saints being bundled out of the finals at the first hurdle by Sydney.

Michael Gardiner, Steven Baker, Robert Eddy and Andrew McQualter all retired in the rooms after the Saints were defeated by 25 points in the elimination final at Etihad Stadium. Sydney booked a semi-final against Hawthorn at the MCG on Friday night.

Addressing a solemn playing group in the rooms, Lyon foreshadowed mass regeneration and singled out captain Nick Riewoldt as one of several players who ''can't give any more''. ''We need people pushing up,'' Lyon implored the players. ''We need a new generation pushing up. We need to get better, we really do.''

In his press conference afterwards, Lyon continued the theme. ''There's a natural attrition … certainly it sort of feels like the end of an era, to be honest. To lose a home final at Etihad, you know, against a good team, but it was a really disappointing night. There were some of the old warts there.''

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He declared he was unsatisfied with the result despite the Saints climbing into the finals from an unlikely position earlier in the season. ''I'm not very easily pleased. I'm really hard to work with, I'm unrelenting, I'm really demanding. If you show me a coach that is unrelenting I'll show you a playing group that generally reflects that. I am far from satisfied,'' said Lyon, who kept his players in a huddle on the ground after the match.

''The previous effort is irrelevant, I'm hurting because we didn't deliver and I don't like losing finals, I don't like losing at home, there's no satisfaction with me.''

The Saints trailed by 26 points at half-time but fought back to trail by eight points at the last change. ''I thought we were unrecognisable in the second quarter,'' he said. ''The price you pay for that is a finals loss on your home turf.

''The message got lost a little bit. The second quarter, I thought it was as disorganised and erratic style of footy as I have allowed to happen for a long, long time. The Swans are pros and I thought they capitalised.''

Judging by Lyon's remarks, the defeat effectively signals the end for the group of players who took St Kilda to three grand finals, and the coach took ultimate responsibility for the loss. ''We probably lost it at match committee in a sense, and I've said that,'' said Lyon.

''Ultimately it hurt us, so once we addressed those issues at half time we came out and played a better style of footy and controlled the players we needed to and were in the game.''

He lamented turnovers from some of his most skilled players.

None of the retiring players were on the field last night, and Eddy had already been relegated to the rookie list.

Lyon said he had no idea who would win the premiership, but said the Swans were as dangerous as anyone. ''Melbourne is alive with finals footy and unfortunately when you've been to the last day three times in a row - with my time at the Swans I think it's five of the last six years' grand final appearances - there's not a lot to like about bowing out and being in Melbourne.''